Home Practice: Benefits & Getting Started

I’ve been encouraging my students this week to start to build a home practice, and I’m going to meet with some of them next week with some suggestions.

To start off with, why should you practice at home? Some of the benefits of a home practice include:

Working on whatever it is you want, not what the teacher chooses, or constrains of a public class

Reaping benefits of yoga when you need them (e.g. do a few poses at the end of a hard day)

Being nicer to those around you, perhaps

Having more space and time to feel the practice from the inside

Discipline of practicing without a teacher present

Being able to practice whenever it’s convenient for you

A few thoughts on practicing at home:

Start small – there’s no need to practice every single day – or to practice for a long time

Don’t worry about doing it “right” – just do. Remember Pattabhi Jois “Practice and all is coming.” Five minutes of really focusing, enjoying your practice, and breathing is better than 60 minutes watching the clock or worrying about it

You don’t need much – block, blanket, strap are nice, but books, bath towel and a belt work just fine. Do try to practice on a hard floor, especially if you have any wrist sensitivity. (Kitchens and dining rooms tend to work well)

If you’re trying to build a regular habit of practicing at home, practice at the same time of day – early morning may work well, or at the end of the day. Try out a few times and see what sticks